Combining

A5 Sweet 16

A5 Sweet 16

Well-known member
Wanted to check out 2 WPAs yesterday that I hadn't hunted yet this season. Was all psyched as I drove up to the first one, didn't see any other cars, & all the corn around it had been picked. Get closer & see the whole thing had been grazed just about down to the dirt. Big let-down.

But, we just went to the other WPA about a mile away. Unfortunately, a full quarter section of corn was still standing, adjacent to the WPA. Still managed a fairly easy limit, but toward the end of the day was hearing birds all over in the corn.

Question: On the average, if weather is good, how long might it take a guy to get 160 acres of corn picked?
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
So what you're saying is....I better start taking Friday afternoons off until that corn is picked, so I can get first shot at those roosters before the rest of the world converges on them on a Saturday?? Thinking that's just what I'll have to do. Thanks!
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I've always been told about 100 acres/day average...……….I'm sure there are plenty of variables
 
BrdHntr said:
I've always been told about 100 acres/day average...……….I'm sure there are plenty of variables
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Excellent rule of thumb. Thanks! The trick is knowing when they're going to start. Because once they start, it usually doesn't take long. And once those birds don't have the cover of corn & get a cold springer nose under their tail feathers, it doesn't take THEM long to realize they need to find someplace else that's safe.
 
With a 6 row head we can do around 7 acres an hour with out stopping to unload.
 
0918style said:
Got reports on corn harvest for east river area?
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I'd say in east-central part of the state, about 50% of the corn is picked. I think the wet ground is just barely frozen enough for them to get back into the fields, but I think the corn needs to thaw & dry a little too. Also, if it warms back up & thaws, the fields may be too muddy for a couple days until they dry out. But then they should be able to hit it pretty hard. Hunting is good but still going to get better.
 
Headed up to hunt this weekend, sounds like a bigger percentage of corn still standing than usual this time of year. Most of the time the corn is mostly gone by the time I go. It will make it more difficult but my group is up for the challenge. Been coming to SD for 25 years ni matter of the harvest or brood surveys. I just enjoy the trip and the chase.
 
Lots of combines in the field harvesting corn in NE South Dakota. Lots and Lots of snow geese around. Corn fields are in pretty good shape top 1/2 inch is a little muddy but ground is firm so far. Our corn was 18% moisture.... the same as it was 3 weeks ago. Hoping it dries down in the next few days but not sure. 50's today and sun was out off n on today. Seeing birds in the weed patches along the corn. SDviking
 
I hunted S, SE and E of Watertown yesterday. Put on quite a few miles driving. I was amazed at the amount of corn still in the field. I doubt that in that area 50% has been harvested. I found a couple of nice walk-in areas but they were surrounded by unpicked corn. I passed on them and will try back in a week with hopes the corn has been harvested.
 
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